HEARING TIPS

It’s Important to Get Your Hearing Checked Regularly. Here’s What You Should Know

According to one recent survey, nearly 30% of people have gone more than ten years without getting a hearing test. One of those people is Sofia. She goes to her annual doctor’s appointments, she visits a dentist every six months, and she has an oil change in her car every 3000 miles. But she hasn’t had a hearing test in quite some time.

There are lots of reasons why it’s important to get hearing assessments, the most prominent of which is that it’s often difficult for you to notice the earliest signs of hearing loss without one. Sophia can keep her hearing healthy for a much longer period of time by recognizing how frequently to have her hearing tested.

How Frequently Should You Have a Hearing Test?

We may be alarmed if Sophia hadn’t had a hearing test in ten years. Or maybe it doesn’t phase us. Our response, and the reaction of her hearing specialist, most likely will vary depending on how old she is. That’s because hearing professionals have different guidelines based on age.

If you’re older than fifty: But if you’re over fifty, the suggestion is, you have a hearing test yearly. Loss of hearing is more liable to affect your life as you grow older because noise damage starts to add up. Also, there are other health concerns that can affect your hearing.

At least every three years, it’s suggested that you take a hearing test. There’s no issue having your ears examined more frequently, of course! But at least every three years is the bare minimum. You should certainly get examined more often if you are frequently in a noisy setting. It’s simple and painless and there’s really no reason not to get it done.

If you want to have hearing examinations or tests more often, there’s obviously no harm in that, at least in terms of your hearing. Since the last time you had a hearing test, you may have new damage you should recognize, so regular hearing tests could be helpful.

You Should Get Your Hearing Checked if You Notice These Signs

Needless to say, your yearly (or semi-annual) hearing test isn’t the only good time to schedule an appointment with a hearing specialist. As an example, if you recognize signs of hearing loss. And in those situations, it’s often a good plan to immediately contact a hearing professional and schedule a hearing exam.

Some of the signs that might prompt you to get a hearing test could include:

Having a tough time hearing consonants (generally, consonants are spoken in a higher pitch than vowels, and it’s those high-frequency sounds that are generally the first to go as hearing loss takes hold)

When you’re in a loud environment, you have trouble hearing conversations.

When you’re talking to people, you repeatedly have to ask people to repeat themselves.

Sounds become muffled; it’s starting to sound as if you constantly have water in your ears.

Having a very hard time understanding people when talking on the phone, any phone.

Cranking your television or car stereo to extremely high volumes (if your neighbors start complaining, that’s a good sign you need to see a hearing specialist soon).

A strong indication that right now is the best time to get a hearing exam is when the warning signs start to add up. You need to recognize what’s happening with your ears and that means having a hearing exam sooner rather than later.

What Are The Benefits of Hearing Testing?

Sophia may be late for her hearing exam for several reasons. Denial is a top choice. Perhaps thinking about it is something she’s just avoiding. But there are tangible benefits to having your hearing tested per recommendations.

And it will be easier to identify hearing deviations in the future if you get your hearing checked by establishing a baseline reading even if it seems like everything is just fine. If you identify your loss of hearing before it becomes noticeable, you can safeguard it better.

The reason for regular hearing assessment is that somebody like Sofia will be able to detect issues before her hearing is permanently impaired. Early detection by a hearing examination can help your hearing be healthy for a long time. It’s important to understand how hearing loss will impact your general state of health.